Hand blotter



Feb. 24. 1925. c. E. ANDERsoN HAND BLoT'mn Filed April 14. 19m

the paper completely shielded Patented Feb. 24, 1925..

UNITED STATES CHARLES E. ANDERSON, OF JUN GTON CITY, KANSAS.

HAND BLOT'IER.

Application filed April 14, 1923. Serial No. 632,109?

To all whom it may concern: l

Be it known that l, CHARLEs E. ANDER- soN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Junction City, in the county of Geary and fotate of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hand Blotters, of which the following is a specification.

lhe invention resides in the provision of a new and improved hand blotter designed to cover all the portions of the hand of the user which naturally come in contact with the paper during writing action and which is adapted to be removably secured to the writing hand of the user in a manner whereby the same may be comfortably worn throughout the day without in any way interfering with the free and natural writing movement, and which, when not in use may be readily slid around to the back of the hand of the user out of the way and in a position where it may remain without in any way curtailing or liampering the use of the writing hand in performing duties other than writing.

The invention has for its object to provide a blotter of the class stated, of simple and inexpensive construction and which is so shaped and applied to the hand of the user as to allow ffree writing movement, in a natural manner, whereby the `muscles of the hand and lower arm are not cramped and restricted so as to produce fatigue and writers cramp, after of kindred devices.

The invention further has for its object to provide a hand blotter of the type stated, which may be 'adapted to any position of the hand the writer' may care to use in the act of writing, which provides means wherethe natural tendency by a blotter may be had constantly where it can be used most effectively,

Vdirectly bes tween the writing hand and the paper, with from the hand, and means whereby the said hand blotter may be adjusted to `suit the needs or whim ofthewearer. A

lViththe alooveand other objects in View, the invention further resides in those novel details of construction and arrangement of parts, all of which will be first fully described, then be particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view, in which my improved hand blotter is shown as operatively applied to a hand, the latter being shown in dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure l, showing the blotterI as ,moved around into the inoperative position.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the preferred form of blotter.

Figure fl is a perspective view of a modified form of the invention.

Figure 5 is a plan view illustrating a further modification.

Figuresf and 7 of still further ferred to.

ln the practical development of my invention I provide a body member l composed of a single double sided blotter (composed of the usual blotting felt or paper) or a plurality of such, if this4 be desired, and, in the preferred form of my invention shown in Figures l, 2 and 3, the said body portion 1s shaped to conform almost exactly to that portion of the hand which naturally engages the paper in the process of writing.

i The body l is suitably ,bound as at 2, preferably by an absorbeiitmaterial, for the purpose of appearance and prevention of frayed edges of the body blotter or blotters, due to long` use, and it will be observed, particularly from Figure 3, that the body includes a main portion, conforming to that portion of the hand immediately in line with the little finger, and what might be deemed an extension of said main portion and which conforms to the contour of the paper engaging portion of the little nger when partially folded, as is the usual natural position when writing. n

It will be also understood that, by reason of positioning the eyelets adjacent the edge of the blotter in cooperation with the bind-y ing as shown, means is provided for preventing the eyeletsfrom pulling out of the fibrous material ofthe blotters.

Toward the extended end ofthe body, and closely adjacent the edges thereof, I provide aj pair of oppositjely disposed eyelets 3 to accommodate the looped ends of a flexible strap l preferably of fine round elastic.

By reason of the positioning of the eyelets 3 and the manner of connecting the strap 4 therethrough,'it will be readily understood that the said strap is reversible'to adapt the same to proper cooperation with either side of the body l.

are detail cross sections modifications, hereinafter re- Toward the end of the main body portion and closely adjacent the edges thereof, I provide another pair of oppositely disposed eyelets 5 with which cooperates, in the same reversible manner in which strap l is mounted, a wrist encircling strap member 6 which may be a continuous elastic band, see Figure 3, two ends adapted to be tied, see Figure il, or may be made of two pieces and cooperative with an adjusting buckle 7, see Figures l and 2, the latter being the preferred form.

By reason of the nature of and the manner of cooperative mounting of the members 4f, 6 and 7 with relation to the body l, effective means is provided whereby the device may be reversed, to enable the use of both sides thereof or for adapting the preferred form to use upon the left hand, when that hand is used in writing, or for adjustment of the device with relation to the surfaces of the hand which it engages to suit the needs and whims of the wearer.

lt is to be understood that the distance between the front and rear sets of eyelets 3 and 5 is less than the distance between the points at which the front strap 4; is adapted to surround the little finger of the hand of the user and that point at which the rear strap portions 6 are adapted to encircle the wrist of the user and thus it will be readily seen that, by tightening or loosening the wrist connection G, through its adjustment 7, the flexible strap /l will act to cause or permit the desired adjustment.

By reason of making connection with the writing hand by a flexible wrist connection and a fiexible little finger connection, none of the members of the hand, actually used in the writing operation, are in any way restricted or hampered, but are permitted to move freely and in the natural manner in effecting the writing action.

This wrist and little finger means of connection also permits the sliding of the device around onto the baclr of the hand, see Figure 2, so that, when not in actual use, it will not interfere with any other of the usual duties the wearer might perform while not actually writing.

In Figure il, is illustrated a modified form of my invention in which the body l is shaped to omit the little finger engaging extension, as may be most practical for some wearers, and in this modified form is illustrated the use of a plurality of blotting sheets, not bound at their edges, and which are adapted t0 be torn off when their period of usefulness has been spent. It is to be understood, of course, that while only two thicknesses are shown in the drawings, as many of such blotter thicknesses may be employed as is desired. This figure also illustrates a further modification of the invention and illustrates the individual wrist straps, which form the adjustable wrist bands, as being slidably connected upon loops reversibly connected each to a pair of eyelids This latter connecting means provides for longitudinal sliding of the individual wrist band portions to aid in adjustment of the blotter to suit the shape of the hand of the wearer or for purposes of comfort.

ln Figure 5, is illustrated another modification of my device, and in this form I have illustrated the construction of my blotter shown in Figure 4 as being provided with edge binding andhaving a plurality of strengthening ribs 8 bound in between the thicknesses of the body portion. T he ribs S act in producing a semi-rigid structure and prevent cross bending of the body portion. It will be readily understood that while l have illustrated and described the ribs 8 as inserted and bound between the body thicknesses, the said ribs 8 may be secured to the said body in any desired manner, as by pasting, stapling, or by paper binding, and in such number and position as is desired.

ln Figures G and 7 the body portion l is illustrated faced, at its hand engaging side, with a thickness of smooth faced material 9, paper or Celluloid or the like, and in Figure G, the edge binding is in the nature of a merely ornamental border l0, pasted upon the edge of the smooth face 9, while in Figure 7, the ordinary, preferably absorbent, edge binding 2 is employed.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawing, the novel dctails of construction, theI use of and the advantages of my improved hand blotter will be readily apparent.

lVhile l have disclosed several embodiments of my invention l desire it understood that further changes in the details of construction and shape of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

v`.Vhat l claim is:

l. A device of the class described, comprising a body of absorbent material, means for pivotally securing said body to the little finger and another means for pivotally securing said body to the wrist of the user, said means being so arranged as to permit the device to be located with the body beneath that portion of the writing-hand which engages the paper in writing or be swung around onto the back of the hand out of the way when not in use.

2. A device of the class described comprising a body formed of absorbent material and including a portion designed to conform to the shape of the paper engaging surface of the partially folded little finger and another portion designed to conform to the shape of that portion of the hand in line with said little finger, means for removably securing the body to said little finger, and other means for securing said body to the wrist of the wearer'.

3. A device of the class described coinprising a body formed of absorbent material and including a portion designed to conform to the shape of the paper engaging surface of the partially folded little finger and another portion designed to conform to the shape of that portion of the hand in line with said little finger, flexible means for removably securing the body to said little finger, and adjustable means for securing said body to the wrist of the wearer.

a. As a new article of manufacture, a .hand blotter comprising a body formed of absorbent material shaped to substantially cover the surfaces of the hand which ordinarily contact when writing, an absorbent binding for said body, eyelets positioned toward the ends of the Abody and closely adjacent the edges thereof, a flexible strap cooperating with the eyelets at one end of said body and adapted to constitute a loop to receive the little finger and an adjustable strap cooperative with the eyelets at the other end of said body and adapted to constitute a loop around the wrist, said straps being adapted to permit the blotter body to be located beneath the hand or swung around onto the back of the hand out of the way while the device is in position on the hand.

5. A device of the class described comprising a body formed of absorbent material and including a portion designed to conform to the shape of the paper engaging surfaces of the partially folded little linger and another portion designed to conform to the shape of that portion of the hand in line with said little finger, an absorbent binding for said body, eyelets positioned toward the ends of the body and closely adjacent the edges thereof, a flexible strap cooperating with the eyelets at one end of said body, and an adjustable strap cooperative with the eyelets at the other end of said body.

6. As a new article of manufacture, a hand blotter comprising a body formed of absorbent material, a reinforcing and absorbent binding for said body, a flexible connecting strap reversibly connected to the front portion of said body and adapted to encircle the little finger, a reversible and adjustable strap portion reversibly connected to the rear portion of said body and adapted to encircle the wrist, and means through said binding whereby said front and rear strap and strap portions are connected to said body all being' arranged whereby the blotter body may be located beneath the writing-hand when in use or be swung around onto the back of the hand when not in use.

7. As a new article of manufacture, a hand blotter comprising a body formed of absorbent material, a. reinforcing and absorbent binding for said body, a flexible connecting strap reversibly connected to the front portion of said body and adapted to encircle the little finger, a reversible and adjustable strap portion reversibly connected to the rear portion of said body and adapted to encircle the wrist, means through said binding whereby said front and rear strap and st-rap portions are connected to said body, the length of said body between the said front and rear connecting means being less than the distance between the point at which the front strap engages the little finger of the hand of the user and that point at which the rear strap portions engage the wrist of the wearer all being arranged whereby the blotter body may be located beneath the writing-hand when in use or be swung around onto the back of the hand when not in use.

CHARLES E. ANDERSON. 

